Tech Support Meeting Minutes for November 2001

Tech Support Minutes

Date: November 26, 2001

Committee members

Vickie Dixon’s term is up. Need to find a “librarian” replacement. Kay Bauman and Judy will take care of soliciting a new member.

IT Issues – Anne Fischer

• One of the branches inquired about developing a newsletter for their library. They need acrobat installed so it could be sent out vial email to a large mailing list. Discussion ensued. Issue was tabled until the services subcommittee meets on Friday November 30. This project requires a large amount of staff time and service committee needs to discuss implications.
• Unfiltering or unblocking sites. Anne brought a list of sites that have been requested to have blocking removed in the last 3 months. She in turn requests that it be unblocked by the filtering vendor, N2H2. They are not letting her know of their decision; so the only way she knows that the site has or has not been unblocked is to check it periodically. Some examples of these sites are: “Salon, low-riders, Landover Baptist, Notre Dame Seminary, etc.”. A decision needs to be made on overriding the blocks and we have to be open to both sides of an issue if we choose to do this. The problem is that we become the decision-maker. Group discussed whether we actually want to do that. The consensus was that the 3-month list is relatively small and does not seem large enough to warrant a change in our current procedures. We need to include a review/reminder for staff on Bess’s role in unblocking and the staff role. In June, the Metropolitan Library Commission adopted a policy that requires filtering for both adults and minors. This policy was implemented by purchasing Bess servers from N2H2. The library does not choose what is filtered or what is not filtered; it is done by N2H2. If you have a site reported blocked, you can use the Bess URL checker to see what category it is blocked under. You can then turn the filter off and check the site to see if it should be legitimately unblocked. If you think it should, please send the URL to Anne Fischer ([email protected]) in Automation and she will submit the site to Bess. However, you need to know that N2H2 no longer lets us know what their decision is on unblocking. You will just need to check back periodically to see if it gets unblocked. If it's not unblocked within two weeks, you can safely assume that it is not going to be unblocked. NOTE: If you check it with the filter off and see why Bess probably blocked it (i.e., there are questionable things on the site), it will do no good to submit it for review as it will not be unblocked.
• Streaming videos. Listening to streaming videos (radio shows; news videos, etc on the Internet) slows the response time. It is a particular problem at the downtown library, which is operating, with old communication lines and slow response already. Listening to CD’s on
  your PC is okay. We can not fix this problem until we move into the new downtown library, so remind staff not to do this.
• Library card key chain. Anne got two quotes; Able Card co. and SSI. We would need to order a t least 100,000 of these and would need to include in next year’s budget. After much discussion, the group agreed that it is a good idea, however, many complex issues are involved to implement and process and we have other issues pending that are of higher priority. So this issue is tabled for now.
• Ebsco data base. New customer having trouble navigating through this database. Web committee is working on this problem and hopes to get databases listed on the web page where you can go directly to them without going through Cybermars. External customers would have to be validated and they are working on that issue now.
• Reserves via email – customer request to the webmaster and/or Ask a Librarian. It is on the IT list to do; but has been a lower priority. Other circ issues were discussed.
• Suggestion to change wording on reserve card to suggest that customer brings library card. Group agreed that as card # is on reserve notification, staff can use that as ID verification and to check out.
• Concern about names and card number on checkout slip. This has been brought up numerous times. Advantages of slip still outweigh disadvantages. We will continue to monitor complaints. Staff should remind customers to treat slip as a receipt.
• Serials? -- staff asked about seeing the serials bibliographic record in the staff catalog. This is really a Multi-Trieve record, not a bibliographic record but Jimmy will see what he can do about making that available on the staff catalog.
• BBM – staff catalog; no option for reserving materials for these customers. This has been fixed?
• Intranet – web committee met. The children’s section continues to grow and improve. Nice to know will be available in word and PDF. Forms will be available in PDF.
• Retreat will be held (tentative) on February 26.